Four wheel mechanical brake system for inline skates

ABSTRACT

A mechanical brake system for inline skates that utilizes all four wheels for braking. The brake is applied by the skater straightening the leg, or both legs if there are brakes on both skates, to a predetermined adjustable position. This causes the adjustable and spring loaded trigger rod, mounted on the pivoting ankle support behind the heel to push the brake lever that extends from behind the heel on both sides of the frame to the front where it is hingedly attached to move downwards. At the mid-point of the skate the brake rail positioned above the wheels and extending the whole length of the skate is connected to the brake lever. The downward movement of the brake lever and brake rail causes the brake rail to contact the wheels causing friction and thereby braking in direct proportion to the force by which the skater is straightening the leg(s). The brake rail is inflexible and shaped to fit the curvature of the wheels thereby facilitating even wheel wear both regarding shape and diameter. Two brackets mounted on the underside of the skate and passing through slots in the brake rail ensure centering of the brake rail. The spring loading of the trigger rod ensures smooth and controllable braking. The spring tension of the spring loaded trigger rod is adjustable so that skaters with different body weight can have optimum braking power without wheel lock-up.

BACKGROUND ART

This invention relates to a brake system for inline skates and seeks toimprove the inline skaters stability when braking, and also to providesmooth and effective braking.

Inline skate brakes presently in use are almost exclusively limited to apiece of rubber mounted behind the heel of one of the skates.

In order to brake, the skater has to lift the front of the skate thushaving only one wheel rolling on the ground while pushing the rubberpiece to the ground.

Rolling on one wheel with one skate becomes an unstable position. Thisinstability is further increased when scraping the rubber piece on theground.

One improved brake system uses a lever device to push the rubber pieceto the ground when the lower leg is straightened without having to liftthe front of the skate, thus rolling on all wheels, greatly improvingstability, but still having rough and ineffective braking.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

This invention seeks to provide smooth and effective braking on one orboth skates without having to lift the front of the skate off theground.

By utilizing a pivoting ankle support as a trigger mechanism for thebrake, the brake is applied when the skater straightens the leg into a“braking position.” The exact angle of the leg when the brake is appliedis adjustable with the threaded, spring-loaded trigger rod behind theheel.

A brake lever extends from behind the heel on both sides of the frametowards the front where it is hingedly attached to the frame.

At the mid-point of the skate the brake lever is hingedly attached to abracket that is connected to the brake rail which extends the wholelength from the first to the last wheel above the wheels, where it isheld in position a short distance from the wheels by a return springbehind the heel that pushes the brake lever and brake rail upwards.

The brake rail is securely centered by two brackets extending downwardsfrom the underside of the skate passing through slots in both ends ofthe brake rail.

When braking the skater straightens the leg to a predeterminedadjustable position causing the lower end of the spring-loaded triggerrod to push the brake lever downwards, which in turn causes the brakerail to contact the wheels generating friction, and thus braking on allwheels in direct proportion to the force applied when the leg isstraightened.

The spring loading of the trigger rod is necessary in order toaccomplish smooth and easily controllable braking.

The spring tension is adjustable so that maximum braking can be achievedfor skaters with different body weights without the wheels locking upand skidding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an inline skate with the hereindescribed “four wheel mechanical brake system” disengaged.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 showing greater clarity ofdetail of the trigger assembly.

FIG. 3 is the upper portion of a section taken on A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the brake rail with the bracket required forconnecting the brake rail to the brake lever mounted on the brake rail.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, 5 indicates an elevational side view of an inline skate withthe herein described “four wheel mechanical brake system” disengaged.

1, 2, 3 and 4 indicate the skate wheels.

6 is the pivoting ankle support.

6A is the pivot point.

See FIG. 2 for greater clarity of detail of the trigger assembly.

7 is a lengthwise sectional view of the trigger assembly.

8 is the trigger rod.

8A is the adjustment knob of the trigger rod.

8B is the threaded lower portion of the trigger rod. The arrow 8Cindicates the direction of movement of the trigger rod, when the triggerspring 10 becomes somewhat compressed during braking.

9 is the mounting bracket for the trigger assembly.

10 is the trigger spring.

11 is the trigger spring adjustment nut.

11A is the center hole in the trigger spring adjustment nut thataccommodates the vertical movement of the trigger rod 8.

12 is the tubular spring housing.

12A is a hole in the bottom of the spring housing for the trigger rod.

13 is the trigger rod adjustment slide with the center hole threaded fortrigger rod adjustments.

14 is the rotational stop screw for the trigger rod adjustment slide.

12C is a slot in the trigger spring housing to accommodate the verticalmovement of the stop screw 14 when braking.

15 is the brake lever.

15A is a horizontal shelf connecting the right and left side of thebrake lever.

15B is the hinged attachment to the skate frame.

15C is the hinged attachment to the bracket 19 that connects the brakelever 15 and the brake rail 18.

15D is a view of the rearmost portion of the brake lever with a piece ofthe right side cut off.

16 is the return spring for the brake lever 15 and brake rail 18.

16A is the mounting bracket for the return spring.

17 is the centering guide brackets for the brake rail 18.

19 is the bracket that connects the brake lever 15 and the brake rail18.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the upper portion of a section taken atA-A in FIG. 1.

15 is the brake lever.

18 is the brake rail.

19 is a bracket attached to the brake rail that connects the brake lever15 and the brake rail 18.

20 is the bolt and nut connecting the brake lever 15 and the bracket 19.

21 is a broken outline of the skate wheels indicating the position ofthe skate wheels relative to the brake rail 18 in a disengaged position.

22 is the skate frame.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the top side of the brake rail 18 with thebracket 19 attached. 18A are the slots in the brake rail thataccommodates the centering guide brackets 17 (See FIG. 1).

The brake is applied by the skater straightening the leg or legs if bothskates are equipped with brakes, to a predetermined adjustable position.

The exact angle of the leg when the skater wants to apply the brake isdetermined by adjusting the trigger rod up or down with the adjustmentknob 8A. Wheel wear is also compensated for by the trigger rodadjustment.

The straightening of the leg causes a downward movement of the wholetrigger assembly 7 mounted behind the heel on the pivoting ankle support6.

When braking, the lower end of the trigger rod 8 contacts the horizontalshelf 15A of the brake lever 15 and pushes it downwards as it hinges at15B.

This in turn causes the brake rail 18 to be pushed against the skatewheels because of the hinged attachment to the brake lever 15 at themid-point of the skate through the connecting bracket 19.

Braking power is directly proportionate to the force applied by theskater when straightening the leg.

In order to accomplish smooth and controllable braking the trigger rod 8is spring-loaded by the trigger spring 10.

Spring tension is adjustable with the trigger spring adjustment nut 11,so that skaters with different body weights can achieve optimum brakingwithout the wheels locking up.

When not braking the brake lever 15, and thereby the brake rail 18 isheld in the disengaged position by the brake lever and brake rail returnspring 16.

The brake lever and brake rail return spring 16 is a weaker spring thanthe trigger spring 10 which causes the downward movement of the brakelever 15 and brake rail 18 when braking.

The inflexible brake rail 18 conforming to the shape of the periphery ofthe skate wheels (see FIG. 3) facilitates even wheel wear both regardingthe shape of the wheel's contact area with the ground and theirdiameter.

The brake rail 18 is securely centered in position by two brackets 17(see FIG. 1) extending downwards from the underside of the skate passingthrough slots 18A (see FIG. 4) in both ends of the brake rail 18.

Somewhat increased wheel wear is, of course, an unavoidable fact withthis brake system, very much depending on the amount and intensity ofbraking done by the skater.

This brake system is not intended to extend the use of skates frompresently relatively flat ground to steeper roadways, since excessivefriction heat build-up in the brake rail would be very damaging to thewheels.

However, for safety and convenience, and as encouragement to beginnerskaters to take up the sport it could be very useful and potentiallytrigger a renewed popularity boom for inline skating.

1. A braking system for inline skates comprising: A brake lever and abrake rail said brake lever extending from behind the heel of the skatetowards the front portion of the skate where said brake lever ishingedly connected to the skates frame said brake rail positioned insidesaid skate frame above the wheels and said brake rail extending the fulllength between the outer wheels and hingedly connected to said brakelever at the mid portion between said outer wheels.
 2. The brakingsystem of claim 1 wherein the braking system is activated by means of arearward movement of the pivoting ankle support whereby a downward forceis transferred to the rear portion of said brake lever causing adownward movement of both said brake lever and said brake rail saidbrake rail thereby contacting the rotating wheels causing braking bymeans of frictional restriction of the rotational movement of saidwheels in direct proportion to the variable downward force applied tosaid rear portion of said brake lever said variable downward force beingdirectly proportional to the force by which the lower leg isstraightened.
 3. The braking system of claim 1 wherein the brake railfacilitates even wheel wear both regarding lateral curvature anddiameter of the wheels by means of said brake rail being inflexible andby means of a section of said brake rail conforming to said lateralcurvature of said wheels.
 4. The braking system of claim 1, furthercomprising: means to prevent contact between said brake rail and saidwheels when said braking system is not activated.
 5. The braking systemof claim 1, further comprising: means of brake activation comprising avertically adjustable trigger rod mounted behind the heel on thepivoting ankle support said brake activation adjustable in relation tothe forward leaning angle of said ankle support by means of adjustingsaid trigger rod up or down corresponding to a pre-selected forwardleaning angle of said pivoting ankle support for said brake activationsaid trigger rod provided with means for adjustable and resilientcontact pressure against said rear portion of said brake lever.